Wireless Control of Active Gate Drivers for Silicon Carbide power MOSFETs

Abstract

Active Gate Drivers (AGDs) enhance controllability and monitoring of switching devices, especially for fast switching Silicon Carbide (SiC) power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). To support information flow between gate driver, converter, and grid control units, high-performance digital infrastructure is required. This paper proposes a practical strategy of assessing the benefits of using Wireless Communication Technologies (WCTs) in Power Electronics Systems (PESs) employing AGDs. First, Information Transmission Routes (ITRs) are identified and located within a PES. Second, an ITR taxonomy is proposed, classifying ITRs and describing both application scenarios and requirements for every class. After presenting general advantages of WCTs over wired alternatives, seven specific WCTs are individually characterized. Subsequently, the benefits of using WCTs are evaluated for each ITR class, resulting in a specific recommendation for or against the use of WCTs, and at least one appropriate WCT for each ITR. Experimental results demonstrate that wireless control of AGDs for SiC power MOSFETs is feasible using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). It is shown that an exemplary AGD can be effectively controlled with an information transmission delay of less than 45 ms, which is sufficient for the intended target applications.